Harness-pad.



N0. 685,54I. i I Patented Dot. 29, 190|.

. E. J. VELTUNG.

HARNESS PAD.

(Application led. Aug. 21, 1900.)

(No Model.)

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@uw y Munro/9M NiTED STATES 'lPATi-LNT OFFICE.

ERNEST VELTUNG AND JACOB VELTUNG, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

HARNESS-PAD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 685,541, dated October 29, 190i. Application tied August 21,1900. serinlvazmta. (No maar.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ERNEST VELTUNG and JACOB VELTUNG, citizens of the United States, and residents of New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Im-. provementin Harness-Cushions, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates more particularly to elastic pads or cushions for horse-collars, harness, and the like, the main objects of the invention being to secure strength and durability ofthe pad or cushion'and also ventilation thereunder while in use.

In the practice of our invention we sometimes take a piece of cloth, leather, or other suitable material, double it, and then form a series of pockets extending transversely of the same, as by sewing or otherwise, closing one end of said pockets either by folding the cloth, leather, or the like or by stitching or otherwise. For convenience we shall term this article a bandolier, and we remark that its ends may or may not be fastened together, as desired or convenient. Then we force into each pocket one or more inflated elastic hollow balls, as soft-rubber balls, and then we close the open ends of the pockets by stitching or otherwise. It is preferable that these pockets be of a size such that the balls have to be forced into them by hand or otherwise, thus putting the balls under some outside pressure to start with. In use this cushion is placed between some rigid part or wearing-piece and the skin of the animal, and by its flexibility it conforms to the shape of the animal. v

When the cushion is to be used as a part of a collar, it may be fastened permanently to wooden or metal bearing-pieces, which may be hinged together or which may be substantially in one piece, to be slipped overthe horses head.

Our invention consists in features of construction and combinations of devices herein described, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The preferred form of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a rear view of a horse-collar in which the invention is embodied. Fig. 2 is and c a lining of suitable material-as leather,

felt, cloth, or the likebetween the piece ct and the cushion C.

rlhe cushion O comprises a fabric d, as pantasote, an artificial leather consisting of a woven fabric covered 011 one side with a flexible and durable paint or coating, doubled and stitched to provide a series of pockets e, within which hollow soft-rubber balls wearingf are placed. The pockets need not all be of one size, and the same is true of the balls f.' The balls f are inflated, so as to be fairly stifli We find that for horse-collars the balls should be about as firm as ordinary tennisballs; but we Vdo not of course limit ourselves to any particular degree of firmness in the balls. We nd that it is better to have the pockets of such'size that the balls have to be forced into them by considerable effort on the part of the workman.

In the instance illustrated in the drawings there are two balls f in each pocket, and the fabric d is drawn down between the rows of balls and is tacked to the wood at the edges of the bandolier, the tacks being marked g. At intervals we may put additional fasteners, as bands h, which are held in place by the tacks t, said additional fasteners h lying in valleys or wrinkles over rows of stitches between adjacent pockets e. that the tacks g are placed in the form of the invention illustrated in the drawings at the corners of the pockets. This is merely the preferred arrangement, however,for the tacks may be placed elsewhere.

It will be observed that the collar is corrugated transversely. We find in practice that these corrugations form efficient means for Ventilating under the collar when it is in use, while the elastic nature of the cushion C saves the neck and shoulders of the animal. Other Itwill be noted' advantages of theinvention will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

We do not limit ourselves to the precise form of ourinvention shown in the drawings and above described, since the embodiment thereof may be varied greatly Without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. A cushion or pad for harness and the like consisting of a plurality of side-by-side pockets formed of flexible inelastic material and independentair-cushions in and held under compression by such pockets.

2. In a horse-collar or the like, `the combination with a Wearing or stiffenin'g piece, of a plurality of side-by-side pockets attached to said piece, said pockets being formed of dexi- 

